Week 47: And relax...

Key Term: It's submitted!! 

I think this Instagram picture sums up how I feel now the last essay of first year is submitted. I am ready to rest! I know they tell you the MSc is going to be all consuming and tiring but I'm not sure I knew really how exhausting it would be. But with first year done and 5 weeks to relax before we go back (well apart from work), I'm confident I will be refreshed before second year begins in September!

Week 39: Focus on Interventions

Week 39

Key Term: Intervention

It feels strange having Applied OT twice a week just now, It is making me realise how much I rely on my routines for preparation, and currently feeling a little out of place with my days.  Our groups have changed condition groups for this second half of the module so my learning set now have 'Long term Conditions'.  

It has been really good to start focusing on interventions for different groups of clients and the type of things we might be doing in practice; it is now becoming really good to hear about each others placement experience and learn from each other.  

Our Research module focused on questionnaires this week which is the the method I'm hoping to use for my research so that was a good class, which helped my focus me on the wording of possible questions and the importance of piloting my questionnaire when the time comes. 

This week has felt really busy as we all being to get our heads down to prepare assignments and it certainly does feel like the end of 1st year is in sight...

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

A

A day in the life of a commuting MSc OT Student

I really wanted to post about a day in my life at an OT Student that commutes... So I picked today as an example. It's the first day back after placement so as good an example as any. I commute down today and stay in a hotel tonight as I am in uni tomorrow morning too.

05:00 - Alarm goes off! - This wake up call never gets any easier, you'd think after 9 months I would be used to it but it really is possibly the worst part about commuting to uni.

05:15 - Get ready for the day - At least the shower wakes me up enough to make sure I have all the things I need for the day at university. 

05:45 - Breakfast - Only time to grab a cereal bar and a banana, pack some fruit and a packet of crisps for on the train.

05:55 - Leave house - Thankfully it's a dry morning today, its always harder to motivate myself to leave when its cold and dark.

06:05 - Catch bus to station - The bus is on time for once and I can sit staring out at the world for 15 mins, whilst I try to wake up some more. 

06:52 - Catch train to Carlisle - Sadly train was late in arriving into station so had to stand on platform for ten mins. Its normally there when I get there as I get on at first stop.  I manage to do a little reading on the train ahead of this mornings class. I make time to eat some more fruit and a packet of crisps before the train pulls into Carlisle.

08:05 - Arrive in Carlisle and meet a fellow student at train station before walking to uni. It's good to catch up with her about our week off last week and also placement. 

08:30 - I've got a meeting with my tutor to go over some feedback about my last assignment which we got back whilst we were on placement. 

09:05 - Grab a drink and head up to find classroom for today's class

09:30 - Class begins - Lots of chatting and catching up with each other and sharing placement stories whilst going through the theory in today's class. It's a good opportunity to link the theory to practice and work out how it all fits together. 

10:45 - Break time - Time to grab a drink and some chocolate to keep me going until lunch. 

11:15 - Back into class to finish the mornings session and discuss our formative assessment that is due next week. 

12:30 - Lunch time and I'm starving again; Early starts to the day make you hungry, it feels like tea time to my body. 

13:00 - Meet with my learning group to go over the afternoon task following this mornings class; A tad strange today as a few people were missing from our group so there was just two of us! We do as much as we can but realise some of the information is with one of the missing girls so will need to follow this up tomorrow. 

15:00 - Pop over to meet some other classmates for a proper catch up 

16:00 - Checked into hotel for the night - I'm sharing with one of the other girls from the course, which is a plus as it means we can chat and reflect on first day back. 

17:00 - Grabbed some dinner - Pizza Express is a local favourite when I'm in Carlisle and loving the NUS discount on a Monday!

18:30 - Trip to supermarket to get some supplies for breakfast and lunch tomorrow, before heading back to the hotel.

19:00 - Spend some time reading journal articles for my upcoming research proposal

20:30 - Time to relax as the early start is catching up with me, will zone out in front of the TV with a cup of tea for a while before heading to bed. 

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Week 36: PP2.8

Key Term: Complete and Passed!

[PP2 Week 8]

Last week of placement and thankfully my final report was a pass. I'm not sure why this always surprises me!! 

My week was filled with finishing things off and passing clients over which felt kind of sad. Ive really enjoyed being part of the team there! 

Longer reflection on whole placement to follow :) 

Reflections on Hoisting and Wheelchair Sessions

As previously discussed in "Week 25: Too many ideas...so little time", over the last few weeks we have been taking part in practical sessions at university to give us the basic knowledge to use when on placement. This week's sessions were based on hoisting and wheelchairs, which gave us as students the chance to experience how it would feel to relinquish control and the power balance when we are hoisting/moving an individual.

http://www.arjohuntleigh.co.uk/products/patient-transfer-solutions/passive-floor-lifters/maxi-move/

Being Hoisted...

How does it feel to be hosted? For me I completely tensed up in the sling; it made me think considering I know how the equipment works, this should have relieved some of the fear but it didn't... so for patients who won't have this advantage of knowledge it must be so much more scary.

The power is with the person doing the hoisting and working the equipment. The patient needs to place their trust in an health care professional that they may have just met when they are feel at there most vulnerable, not to mention most probably in those shapeless hospital gowns.

It is of great importance that as health care professionals we are able to reassure the patient and protect their dignity whilst helping them to transfer.

Learning Points:

• Let the person know what you are doing as you go through the process.
• If you can stand beside them when hoisting - Do so! 
• Give the person dignity when hoisting them! 

Wheelchairs

We also got the chance to experience using a wheelchair around campus, which was a lot harder than I had imaged it to be; heavy doors, high handles and doors that open outwards were among a few of the issues faced just getting around, not including the added obstacle of communicating when you aren't at the same level as others.

Even to push someone in a wheelchair there is so much you need to know to do so safely, such as coming of he curb backwards - you need to be so much more aware of the environment when driving the chair, and it again there is the balance of power that the user gives over to the person pushing them.

Learning Points:

• Remember the person in the chair does not want to face the wall in the lift... they want to be able to join in the conversation!!
• Doors are challenging in a wheelchair.

Week 25: Too many ideas... so little time

Key Term: Development of thinking....


Research and Scholarship & Dissertation

This week saw the launch of our dissertation module to run along side our research and scholarship one. It is actually a really positive thing as it means our supervisor for dissertation module will be there to support us with the proposal for research and scholarship which is due at the end of first year.

As always I seem to have too many ideas and not really sure how to make the best decision about which one to take forward, so I'm thankful that we are allocated a supervisor over the next week and hopefully they might help me reign it in onto a particular topic.

Slightly daunting (and also really exciting) to think i'm going to have to write a 1000 word assignment at masters level... but that is a worry for next year at this stage... 4000 word proposal is my focus for now.


Applied OT

This week helped us review what we had learnt over the last 5 weeks, which surprisingly does feel a lot more than I originally thought. It is a module that we will continue to develop out on placement and when we are back in university in June and July.  We have been focusing on information gathering and assessment as part of the OT process which is helpful to develop before we go out onto placement in a few weeks time.


Practical Sessions (Intro to OT)

This week sessions focused on hoisting and wheelchairs, which are both things I have experience in using in my role as OT assistant, so I had some knowledge which was a bonus. I am writing a separate post on these sessions so please check that out for more on the experiences.

Week 23: The Positives of University

Key Term: learning from others...

It's been another busy week at university, with assignment deadlines and getting back into the swing of prep for classes. 

We have been learning more about research this week as we begin to think of our research proposals... It still feels quite scary to think we have to think up our own ideas for research when we are just begining to get our head around the  complexities of occupational therapy. Thankful to have a knowelegable lecturer who is head of research at the university to share with us on different forms of research.  

This week has given some of us time to reflect on the course so far and it's been good for me to think about the positives of studying the MSc at UoC. 

If you are a reader of my blog, you will know I havent found the transition to masters level plain sailing... But thinking back now, if i had the choice between the BSc and MSc. I think I would still choose to do the master course. 

Considering interviews have started for September 2015, I thought it would be worth listing the plus' of studying here:

Supportive Tutors

The campus in Carlisle is small, and so is the course. This means you get to see the tutors around the building most days and they are really helpful. I've found that my personal tutor (PAT), is fab for advice and support. Im sure the other tutors are too.

Self-directed Study Skills

The course teaches you to be independent and search for information to aid your and others in the class' learning. 

This is a skill we are still getting our heads around 5 months in, but I know these skills will be crucial as we become qualifed OTs in the work place.

Research Skills

The tutors also place a big focus on research skills which as OTs working with evidence based practice. It is important we can recognise where to look and how to critique what we are reading to guide our practice. 

It is also very apparent that they have a passion for researching and increasing the evidence base when they are sharingtheir  experiences with us. I'm hopefully this enthusiasm will rub of on me as I start my research proposal for my dissertation in the coming weeks...

Incredibly Knowlegeable Staff

The majority of the OT staff are involved in research of their own or are studying towards qualifications such as PHDs; they also have a great depth of knowledge about practice - just need to seek it out of them! 

Links with Practice

The course benefits from having guest OTs from practice, come in to teach the students. As a first year we have only had a few as first term is quite theory heavy, but i'm told you get a lot more in second year.

Support Services for Students

The university benefits from fab student support services - the library staff are so knowledgeably, and always willing to lend a hand when you are feeling lost with referencing, finding resources as well as most other things you might need support with.

Placements in a wide range of locations and settings

Currently i've only had 2 placements - an observation week and a 5 week one; but looking at the range of settings and locations we have had as a class; there seems to be a good range. 

Small Cohort of Students

I think the normal intake is around 27 a year which means you really get to know your class mates and have a chance to learn from each others experiences.  

Im sure there are many more positives I haven't thought about. But at least there is a few to get you thinking about why studying a MSc at Cumbria is worth it.

This post is very purposly one sided, as I feel that as student OTs it is important to focus on what people can do and not what they can't. With all courses there are things we might want to change and as human beings we can't all like everything... But I think the positives do out weigh the things that arent ideal for me and I wanted to share those!! 

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Week 21: Back to uni...

Key Term: Synthesise,  Synthesise, Synthesise 

First week back in classes after placement; and everyones minds are focused on one thing - the next assignment.  

I have felt exhausted all week; if I could recommend anything to the course leaders to change; it would be the need for a wee off before coming back into uni, as I'm not at all convinced it is healthy for students to start new modules and focus on assignments when they are so tired. Maybe I'm just being a lightweight and need to suck it up and get on with it though... It is an accelerated course after all!

I'm excited to be starting our new module in Applied OT, (well apart from the dreaded presentation that I am trying to not think about at the moment) hopefully its going to teach us things we will use as OTs once graduated. 

We have also continued to learn about evidence based practise and the need for OT as a profession, to continue to develop the evidence base to aid its position  amongst other health and social care professions. 

PP1 - Reflections on Pediatrics

The treatment room used for clinics and therapy sessions

It's hard to believe how fast the last 5 weeks have gone. I have experienced so much in that time and have had the chance to assist in assessments, plan lead and evaluate treatments sessions, review seating and posture systems and meet a great bunch of professionals that were a brilliant representation of the occupational therapy profession. 

At the start of this placement, I was apprehensive of how much I would have to learn and felt that I might never 'get it" when it came to complexity of posture and seating (anatomical terms are incredibly difficult for me to remember as a person with dyslexia), but over the latter half of my placement I was able to see how far I had come in such a short time, which was an incredibly rewarding experience. 

I had wanted a pediatric placement, having done a range of voluntary children and youth work roles in my spare time, but maybe not as my PP1 as I felt slightly out of my depth having no previous experience with working with children and families in a healthcare setting. This in itself wouldn’t have caused me immediate concern but as we were still getting to grips with the foundations of occupational therapy theory it felt slightly overwhelming.  Thankfully the team I was placed with were brilliant with me and my educators gave me ample opportunities to explore and learn what is involved in being an OT in community pediatrics. 

It was refreshing to see a focus on function and learning and developing fine motor skills, which I haven't really experienced in my adult acute physical background where sometimes it can feel like its all about plastering over cracks to get the patient home to free up a bed. This focus also allowed for me to understand how occupational frames of reference and research impact on the way occupational therapy staff plan and undertake their interventions with the children.  I am also reminded of how complex we are as human beings, and wonderful it is to get to know each person for who they are and what they have to offer. Children are amazing to work with and have such an incredible determination and drive to join in with activities and seek out things that are meaningful to them.

One thing I did not expect to learn that kept being highlighted as I went through my time on placement was the link between the skills I need to develop to critically write at masters level and how those are also used in daily occupational therapy practice whilst articulating your findings from assessments and interventions. I have spent the first term separating them in my mind... But actually I should have been gelling the two together. Now don't get me wrong I don’t mean the things I’ve learnt, because of course the theory needs to be linked. I mean the concept of academic writing and analysing information - to synthesize the information!     

As I get back to the realities of university life; assignments, endless reading lists and presentations round every corner… I’m reminded that you have got to start somewhere; The great thing about being an occupational therapy student is just that; you are a student, you are not expected to know everything (otherwise there would be no reason to be on a course); but you are expected to try and explore what practicing as an occupational therapist looks like in an ever-changing landscape of health and social care, with the support of experienced educators to do so in a safe manner.

Week 17 - PP1.2

Snowy Views on way back to Placement

Key Term: Participation


[PP1 Week 2]

It's hard to believe that another week of placement has flown by already. Week 2 has been a good one for me as my confidence grows in my placement setting. I just about know all the OTs names now so at least that's one achievement (Anyone that knows me well will know the trouble I have with remembering names). I have actually had the chance to participate in some of the OT process (be it only in small ways to assist the OT during assessments) which is helping me learn and understand the theory a lot easier...

I'm learning lots about OT in the community and the importance of building longer term relationships with clients and families, which I haven't really experienced in acute inpatients and how the roles differ because of the setting... It's encouraging to learn how diverse the role of occupational therapists are and the varied activities and tasks they will encounter in the everyday roles.

[Being a 'real' student]

A Successful Cooking Attempt

Another week in student halls, and thankfully still managing to eat without giving myself food poisoning [Mainly thanks to Vicky supervising my cooking attempts].

Also managed to go home for the weekend which was great to see the other half and some friends; I feel really re-energised to start week 3.







For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Week 13: Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines...

Key Term: Technology is key to getting a degree...

So classes finished last week, but we still had one assignment to submit before we could really get on with relaxing and enjoying the lead up to Christmas. This meant facing and embracing pebble pad... Which most of the cohort have been avoiding like the plague for the past 12 weeks... I'm thankful that I had played about with it a good few weeks ago so sort of had an idea of how to use it... For anyone reading this who is thinking of MSc at Cumbria - When the tutor says in week 2 to download it and get used to using it... Just trust that they know best and do it! As i know a lot of our class ended up worrying about using it so put it off which led to more stress as the deadline approached... 

I'm not saying I enjoyed using it, as I don't think it is the best software and doesn't do half the things I wanted it to do to make my assignment look the way I wanted it to look... But I guess we dont need to enjoy using software, we just need to accept that it's the required submission method and work as best we can with it. 

Anyways after fighting with pebble pad and being incredibly thankful for RefWorks (A website that stores your references and creates the reference list in the Cite Them Rite format that UoC requires), the assignment was saved by Thursday night... Mainly due to being terrified that if i logged into pebble pad on the Friday, I might forget to log out and it would look like I was in editing it after the deadline!! Can't afford to loose marks over that. It is now time to enjoy a few weeks off before placement starts!! 

I have officially survived the first term of my MSc... If you had told me 13 weeks ago that it would have been such a roller coaster in the first term, would I have started the course?!?! Definitely! No questions asked... Through the laughs, tears and huge moments of confusion, I have met such a great supportive bunch of people and learnt so much even in such a short period of time and reflecting on it now I can honestly say that the more I learn about occupational therapy... The more I want to be an occupational therapist! 

As a wise person said to me a few weeks ago: At the moment we are just baby OTs, finding our way through a course at masters level in a subject we have a limited knowledge in... We aren't expected to know it all yet, otherwise we wouldn't be on a course! 

We need to give our self a little slack and be proud of what we have learnt in the time we have been on the course; which is actually a huge amount so far!!!

Now to go and enjoy a few weeks of rest and recharge my batteries!! 

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Week 11: Let's get Creative!

Key Term: Creative Interventions

A very quick post this week as I have far too much work to get done.

Very enjoyable sessions at uni this week... We had the pleasure of taking part in Creative Interventions led by the tutors; which I think was a great relief to the whole group after the last few weeks that have been really theory focused, as well as stressful due to looming deadlines... Thursday gave us time to focus on creative (art, drama abnd creative writing) approaches we could use as an OT. Lots of familiar ice breakers from youth group so I felt quite positive   about the majority of the sessions - although i still really dislike the 'I went to market and bought' game. 

These sessions have brought up a few personal questions/queries about whether you can use ideas with your clients that you may not be comfortable doing yourself. Its similar to the idea at youth group, where i questioned was it ok to have messy games when as the youth leader, I myself didnt want to get messy?!?! One for me to reflect on I think...

Friday was back to THEORY and ASSIGNMENTS!!! A fun filled weekend of referencing  and redrafting on the cards...

Week 10: Finally a More Positive Week

Key Term: Models!!

This week was a week of models. Thursday was focused on our learning sets presenting back our occupational models of health... Our poster is above. We based ours around Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as the parts that aid a person to be able to engage in occupation.

Friday was focused on MOHO, with a guest speaker who uses the model in practice. It was really good to see how the theory connects to practice. 

We also found out our placement allocation for PP1 in January... Looks like mines is a peadatrics placement but still need to phone them to get more details... Im really excited as it is one of the specialities I have a keen interest in.  

Week 9: It's Important to Breathe...

Key Term: Presentation, Presentation, Presentation

I have thought alot about what to write in this post because I have had quite a difficult week at uni and havent felt very positve about it for a massive proportion of the week. I want this blog to be a positive one that I can look back on a chart what and how I learned over the 24 months of the MSc; but also want it to be a honest document on the experience as well. 

But as I sit and reflect on the week which has had me quite near my breaking point for a number of reasons that I wont bore you with... I am incredibly thankful for the  support  network I have in my fellow students and also in the staff at university. As I think about the feelings I encountered and the how negative I was; my learning set were there to problem solve and work with me so I could still preform the task at hand; be it a smaller part than originally planned. 

Im also thankful for knowledgeable staff able to sign post and also be honest and frank with me when I felt completely overwhelmed. I imagine it will be something I can look back on and learn from even if currently im not completely able to do so.

This week focused on learning about enviromental infulences on how we develop and access our occupations which is a really intresting topic and I feel a very important one as OTs seek to understand clients as individual holistic beings. 

My weekend has focused on assignments which the deadlines are fast approaching... I cant believe how quickly this first term is going, its going to be Christmas before we know it! 

Anyways I should probally get back to writing my assignment...

Until next time! Have a good week!  

Week 8: Death by Dough Balls

Key term: Theraputic use of Games

This week in MSc Experience:

- Learning about theraputic use of board games. I.e. A morning playing board games in class. On a serious note however; it was great to understand a bit more on the psychosocial front regarding how the enviroment affects how you interact with others and tasks! Thankfully led to me being less of a competative drama queen when loosing! 

- Student life experience = #freesnowballdoughballday at Pizza Express; got to love free food! See picture above for more details!

- Learning more regarding OT frames of reference and models of practice which is really intresting even if it did cause me a slight emotional breakdown on Friday afternoon; I am reasured that this is a reasnable part of the MSc/PostGrad journey, and not out of ordinary.

Working Whilst Studying

This week also gave me time to pick ip some OT assistant shifts which gave me a renewed desire to focus on my studies and reminded me why I want to be an occupational therapist. Also reminds me how much of a support my colleagues actually are as I study.

Now time to organise my time and get on with this weeks prep...

Week 7: PP0

Key Term: SAAFA (Practice Placement 0)

I remember someone telling me a long time ago that "you can never cross the Ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore." If I'm completely honest with you, starting my MSc in OT was a big step for me. I knew I loved the field, I'd gained a lot of experience as an OTA and I knew that it was what I wanted to do. However, there was still a niggling feeling; a feeling of anxiety surrounding the step that I was taking. Would I be up to the challenge? The commute? The workload? There were a lot of unanswered questions, but I knew that if I really wanted to achieve my goals then I would have to have the courage to lose sight of what I knew.

As you may already know, the first 7 weeks have flown by, literally. I can definitely say that I was right about the challenges that I would face, but If I'm honest - I'm coping and my initial anxiety is turning more into excitement by the day.

I had been looking forward to my first proper placement as a student OT for weeks, in fact - long before I even started the course. I had been anticipating the amount of new skills and hands on experience that I would be gaining, along with the challenges of living and working in a new environment/location.

When I found out that I would be working my first placement in acute medicine I had a split reaction. Fantastic, I can use the skills and experience I've gained from being an OTA in acute surgery and put them into practice during my placement. However, at the same time I was slightly disappointed that I wouldn't be faced with a completely new experience.

Ultimately, I was completely surprised by the differences between working in a hospital setting in England compared to my previous experiences in Scotland. The differences that exist between treatment options and the process of assessment were miles a part; but both equally effective in their own way. For example, in Scotland the equipment is loaned out through a central store in each patients area, whereas in England - patients are given a prescription in which they can redeem from a list of approved retailers and not returned, or reused.

Something that I particularly admired during my placement was the fact that OTs are highly valued throughout the multi-disciplinary team in that sense that Doctor's would approach OTs to ask advice and then make decisions accordingly. The role of OT was a respected one, and honestly... it made the profession feel important.

Yet, going back to the quote I mentioned at the beginning of my blog which tells us to lose sight of the shore if we want to be challenged. If I'm being truthful, the shore was very much in my sight for the entirety of the week. I'm not saying that I wasn't challenged or that I didn't learn new and invaluable things. Instead, I felt a sense of control. I knew exactly what I was doing and I wanted to do more. I know that hospital placements differ from community placements, and I fully appreciate that - but I needed to be challenged, I needed to feel out of my comfort zone, and metaphorically speaking - I needed to be slam bang in the middle of the Ocean with no sight of the comforting shore...I needed to be lost.

This placement I was introduced to SAAFA - Structured Anchored Approach to Formative Assessment, Wilby HJ (2005); which was a new approach to me and was created in response to a number of concerns by OT's in acute physical settings regarding consistencies of the assessments they were making and also in response to the changing shape of OT in an acute setting meaning that patients are discharged from hospital sooner; in turn affecting the amount of time OT's have to do their assessment. In the acute setting I had my placement in this meant that patients are seen over less encounters and are assessed using a number of observations around there bed space as a pose to being seen over a number of occasions to do separate kitchen/washing dressing assessments. This in turn does help the team to respond to the busy environment, and deal with the long waiting list that they have in department. It is important to note though that this doesn't impact on patient care as each patient is seen on an individual basis and evaluated accordingly meaning that the OT is not hindered by the to rigid a formula when treating a patient. It also benefited from the added input which comes from the OT always speaking to the next of kin/close relative of patient to determine a rounded understanding of the patients needs and home environment.

In hindsight, am I glad that I wasn't completely paddling for my life out at sea? Yes and No. I learned a lot in the space of a week that challenged what I felt I already knew. I got the opportunity to speak with OTs and staff across the department and take advice where advice was on offer. But yes, I would have loved to be thrown in at the deep end; making assessments and being prompted for judgements.

What I can say, is that I've paddled my way out to sea, comforted by what I already know, but challenged by what lies ahead.

37.5/1000 hours done towards qualifying as an OT!

Now it's time to start the preparations for week 8...

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

References

Wilby HJ (2005) A description of a functional screening assessment for the acute physical setting. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(1), 39-44.

Week 6: Preparing for placement

Key term: Psychosocial theories

This week has been a really good week. We spent time preparing for next weeks placement which is exciting. 

Check List:

Uniform - received and washed

Forms - printed ready to go

Accommodation - booked for the week

Transport - train booked

Pre placement reading - in process

In our life sciences class we have been looking at theories regarding psychological development through the lifespan of a person which I have found extremely interesting and am looking forward to building that knowledge.

Today is an unexpected self study day so I'm off to catch an early train back to Edinburgh :).

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

   

Week 5: Engaging in occupations

Key term: Accepting Support and Understanding my Difficulties as a Student/Occupational Being

Following on from last weeks post; this week still felt a tad overwhelming and a bit up and down...

Tuesday was a mixed day with a few meetings and the last Scholarship and Research class of this term... Which if you have been around me the last few weeks, you'll know has caused me a great deal of anxiety as I tried to get to grips with level 7 (masters level) writing.  It was also the day our first assigment was due [see last weeks blog for more info]. I am aware I talked about this in the last blog post so I will just add a few comments on the topic before moving on... 

On reflection: I know I ended up in a complete panic when faced with this particular challenge and to be honest this made the task a lot worse. I hope as I continue on the course this will become less of an issue.

On a more positive note I am really enjoying my Thursday and Friday modules which focus more directly on occupational therapy practice. We have been continuing to develop our understanding of the human life span and the developments that are part of the changes we all go through but yet make us all individual. Our Fridays have been focused on activity analysis the last few weeks and it was great to relate things I did as an OT assistant to the theory we are learning.  We also had the benefit of the second year MSc students with us in the afternoon to help relate it to use on thier placements 

This week has also been a week where I have had some conversations which have challenged me to think about my learning style, approach and the difficulties I can sometimes encounter as a dyslexic student (hence you may sometimes see spelling errors in my blog). I'm really thankful to be in a learning set/class with a group of people who so far have accepted me with my difficulties and managed to work around things if need be... Which is a great trait in a bunch of people training to be OTs. :) I also had a few conversations regarding the need to use the techniques and equipment I have in place to help enable me to get as much out of the course as possible. I love the word enable it is such an OT word too I think. May have sidelined there... The point of me rambling on about this is: it made me appreciate almost being on the otherside of the process as a person wanting to pursue an occupation i.e. being a student (which is a activity thats meaningful to me); and how having strategies (support) and adaptations (equipment - coloured overlays, different software on laptop) can help me to engage in that occupation. 

Don't think I need to grade the activity though? Any fellow OT students want to advise on it?!?

Anyways as a new week starts tomorrow; its exciting if not slightly nerve-racking to think that this time next week I will be in a travel lodge settling down before my first placement; all be it a one week observatory one. 

Lots of things to get done this week... Hopefully it is a intresting and exciting week as the group all prepare for the first outing from university as 'Student Occupational Therapists'.

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Week 4 - the reality of masters study

Key term: Critical Writing

Sorry this post is a few days late. Mainly due to my lack of emotional control when stressed. I know only week 4 and im already stressed. 

This week was taking up by a huge amount of journal reading and trying to put together my first formative assignment [for everyone not in the know... That is an assisgment that helps prepare you for the actual marked assignment] for our module on research and scholarship. It is being peer reviewed by another student on either the MSc OT or MA Social Work course.

Spending a great deal of time worrying about how to actually critical analyse  a journal into a 1000 essay brought to the  forefront   the  massive jump between undergraduate study and masters level. Im sure the fact i've been out of education for the last 4 years didnt help either... 

But as one tutor said confusion is good, thats how you know you are actually getting to a point of understanding something enough to go deeper... Well thats the gist of what I took from what they said.

This week has also reminded me of what a support some of my friends really are to me. That even when jet-lagged they are willing to meet up for a coffee to help me to re-evaluate the situation when I feel to emotional to make realistic demands of myself. Im hoping as I go through this masters it will alow me to continue to develop my own skills in managing my emotional responses to stress.

Time to head to bed before my 5am alarm call! The joys of commuting...

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Week 3: A four day week

Key Term: Anatomy (with models)

This week was one of a couple of four day university weeks I have over the first year. I've had the usual classes with an extra day in to cover some anatomy and Portfolio planning.

Anatomy was enjoyable if not slightly eye opening in regards to the amount we have to learn... Good news that there is no formal assesment for it in the MSc course. Although will mean having to be really disciplined to learn the stuff I will need to know to be a good OT.

Also had time this week to refresh on searching journals and e-resourcesfor our  Research and Scholarship module, where our first assesment is due in a couple of weeks! 

Scary thought of the week: 3 weeks into course and my first one week placement is in 3 weeks time. If the time goes as fast as the last few weeks i'll be on a ward before i know it.

Nearly my train stop... Until next time :)